Lando Norris Fastest in F1 Dutch GP FP2 Amid Crashes and Red Flags
Why it matters: McLaren's Lando Norris continued his dominant form by topping the second practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix. However, the session was heavily disrupted by significant crashes involving Lance Stroll and Alex Albon, along with other incidents, setting a chaotic tone for the weekend's racing at Zandvoort.
The big picture: Norris's consistent pace underscores McLaren's potential, while the frequent red flags highlighted the challenging nature of the Zandvoort circuit's high-speed banking and tight sections. Teams faced limited meaningful track time, making the upcoming Saturday practice and qualifying even more crucial.
The details:
- Norris's Performance: Norris secured the top spot with a 1m09.890s lap, making it a clean sweep for Friday practice sessions. He was closely followed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and teammate Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
- Lance Stroll's Heavy Crash: Early in the session, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) crashed heavily at Turn 3, appearing to carry too much speed into the banking. His AMR25 sustained significant damage to both front and rear right-side corners, triggering the first red flag.
- Isack Hadjar's Stoppage: After the restart, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar reported a loss of power and was asked to stop his car on track, leading to a Virtual Safety Car and further reducing track time.
- Lewis Hamilton's Spin: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) had a spin, losing the rear of his car on the exit of Turn 9, but managed to recover.
- Alex Albon's Red Flag Incident: Alex Albon (Williams) caused the second red flag when he outbraked himself into Turn 1 and tapped the wall with his front wing, ending his soft-tyre lap in the gravel trap.
- Other Key Drivers: George Russell (Mercedes) finished fourth, followed by championship leader Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in fifth, and Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) recovered to seventh, with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Franco Colapinto (Alpine), and Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) completing the top 10.
What's next: Third practice will take place on Saturday at 11:30 local time, followed by the all-important qualifying session at 15:00 CEST. Teams will be pushing to maximize their limited data from a challenging Friday to prepare for a crucial Saturday.